Harry Potter And The First Years
by Morwen Tindomerel
Summary: An After Voldemorte story. The Dark Lord may be dead but evil never dies. Somewhat AU just how AU we won't know till after the 7th Book. However I am assuming Snape is on the side of the Angels in spite of all appearances. Unfinished.
1. Aboard the Hogwarts Express

Harry moved along the corridor of the Hogwarts Express looking into compartments. Every one was full of students; talking, giggling or twitching nervously. Every now and again a child would look up, see him and stare. And Harry would smile, nod and move on quickly.

Finally he found it, near the end of the train as usual, a compartment empty except for Ron, frowning worriedly as he checked off items on a long scroll. Harry opened the door. "Excuse me, room in here?"

"Ah there you are, Harry. I was beginning to think you'd miss the train."

"Not quite." he settled himself on the seat opposite and nodded at the list in Ron's hand. "Get it all done?"

"I certainly hope so." was the fervent answer. "I'll never hear the end of it if I haven't."

There was a jerk as the train began to move. Harry looked out the window and Ron continued to pore over his list. They had left London far behind by the time he finally checked off the last item and heaved a sigh of relief. "Got it all, thank goodness. Hermione would have turned me into a tea towel if I'd forgotten anything."

"That's her latest is it?" Harry asked, looking away from the window.

"M' hm" Ron grinned. "Of course she never really does it, just talks about it."

"Bet she could if she wanted too."

"I don't doubt it." Ron answered cheerfully. "She was always good at Transfigurations."

"Hermione's good at everything." said Harry.

"I know, and it can be right annoying at times." Ron shoved the list into the pocket of his robes. "So, what did Percy the Pompous want?"

"To bring back the Triwizard Tournament." Harry answered flatly.

Ron's eyes went round. "You're kidding?" he shook his head. "He's got guts our Percy, I'll give him that. Imagine suggesting that to you of all people. What did you turn him into?"

"Nothing." Harry said quietly, looking out the window again. "I told him I'd think about it."

Ron frowned at the back of his head. "You can't be serious."

Harry turned to face him. "As a matter of fact I am. Voldemort and his crew have been dead and gone fifty years... it could be a tribute to poor Cedric's memory."

"I didn't think of that." Ron looked thoughtful. "I suppose there's no real reason not to, if you think you can stand it."

"That's what I'm not quite sure about." Harry admitted quietly, then looked determined. "I'll tell you one thing though, if I do say yes there'll be no cheating this time."

"That's always been part of the tournament." Ron protested.

Not with me running it, it won't be." Harry answered grimly.

There was a familiar rattle in the corridor outside and their door was slid open by a beaming witch pushing a well loaded snack cart. "Good afternoon, Headmaster, Professor Weasley. Anything off the cart?"

"Of course," said Harry, grinning and digging in his pocket for sickles and knuts, "a half dozen of everything, please Gladiola. And I wish you wouldn't call me 'Headmaster', I keep looking around for old Dumbledore."

She laughed, handing over packages of chocolate frogs, pumpkin pastries, Bott's beans and the rest. "Better get used to it, Harry. That's what practically everybody's going to be calling you from now on."

"Don't I know it!" he said ruefully. Gladiola laughed again, shut the door and pushed on down the corridor. Harry turned to Ron. "Why ever did I say yes? I don't know anything about running a school."

"You don't have to," Ron said comfortably around a mouthful of cauldron cake, "Hogwarts pretty much runs itself. You'll learn the ropes in no time." he swallowed. "Hermione and I are delighted, it'll be like old times with the three of us together again."

"That's just what Ginny said," Harry agreed, "and she wasn't at all sure that it was a good idea. Anyway I'm more used to breaking rules than enforcing them."

Ron laughed. "Tell me about it! Don't worry Hermione will keep you in line. She's got the whole school right scared of her."

"I believe it." a sudden croak by his foot startled Harry and made him look down, he bent to pick up a very large, very fat green toad. "Hello there, you look familiar."

"Can't be." said Ron.

Harry grinned. "Want to bet? I hear Neville's grandson's starting Hogwarts this year."

Ron grinned. "Oh no." then said mock severely to the toad; "Up to your old tricks are you Trevor?"

Neither of them was at all surprised to hear a timid knock on their compartment door some minutes later.

"Come in." said Harry.

It opened to admit a pair of nervous eleven year olds; a girl with mousy blondbraids and glasses holding the hand of a plump boy who looked like he wanted to run for it. Then he saw Trevor on the seat next to Harry and his face lit up in relief.

"You found him!"

"He found us." said Harry, scooping up the toad and handing him to his master. "Trevor's an old friend of ours, Professor Weasley and I shared a dormitory with him and your grandfather when we were at school. Bevis isn't it?"

"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir. Grandad told me he knew you, sir."

Harry's eyebrows went up. "Neville saved my life more than once, risking his own to do it too, but I don't suppose he saw fit to tell you that. Your grandfather is one of the most modest wizards I know, as well as the best and bravest."

Bevis' face glowed. Harry turned to the girl, "And you are?"

She gulped but kept her countenance. "Prudence Dean, sir. You wouldn't know my family, I'm Muggle born."

"So am I," said Harry, "on my mother's side." he smiled at her. "Fascinating place the Wizarding world isn't it?"

"Oh yes, sir!" she said enthusiastically. "I've been reading everything I can get my hands on about magical history. I've read all about you and Professor Weasley and Bevis' grandfather and the rest of the Order of the Phoenix."

Harry kept his face straight with an effort, but Ron wasn't doing anywhere near so well. "Those were terrible times,"Harry said, "exciting to read about I grant you, but not much fun to live through. I'm glad you're entering our world at a more peaceful time Miss Dean."

Young Prudence's expression suggested she didn't quite agree. "Yes sir." she said politely. "Thank you for finding Trevor, Professor. We should be getting back to our compartment now. Nearly time to change into robes." she tugged at the boy's hand. "Come on Bevis."

The door closed behind them. Harry and Ron looked at each other for a moment then both burst out laughing.

"Remind you of anybody?" Harry asked when he could talk again.

"She certainly does! Something tells me Hermione is going to take to that girl."

'Heaven help us all." Harry agreed. "Have a chocolate frog." he tossed one over to Ron then opened his own.

"Who'd you get?" Ron asked.

Harry looked at his face and grinned. "Got me again?"

Ronshook his head. "Nope, Hermione." he held up a card showing a good looking witch wearing a severe expression and blue robes with her masses of brown hair twisted up into a fluffy pompadour. "Hermione Granger-Weasley" Ron read aloud from the back. "currently Professor of Arithomancy and deputy headmistress of Hogwarts school. A brilliant theoretician and experimental sorceress Professor Granger-Weasley's honors include the Order of Merlin, first class, for her part in the defeat of Lord Voldemort, as well as honorary degrees from Drumstang, Saint Mungo's and Beauxbatons for her work in counter-curses, healing spells, and of course Arithomancy.

"'She is married to Professor Ronald Weasley, also of Hogwarts, and the mother of six children.' Nice of them to squeeze that last bit in." He looked at the card in Harry's hand. "Don't tell me you got Hermione too."

Harry grinned and read; "Ronald Weasley, currently Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts school. One of the most able Aurors of our time Professor Weasley is most famous for his heroic role in the final defeat of Lord Voldemort -"

Ron snatched the card out of Harry's hand, ears as red as his hair. "That's load of rot!"

"Is not." Harry answered.

Ron looked down at the card in his hand with a rueful mixture of pride and embarrassment. His picture's ears were red too and it wore a sheepish grin. "Never thought I'd see myself on one of these."

"That's what you get for making friends with the famous Harry Potter." said Harry.


	2. The High Table

Harry sat at the center of the high table, in the throne like chair he still thought of as Dumbledore's, trying to look wise and benevolent and feeling like a total fraud.

"Enjoying your new eminence, Potter?" a voice taunted from his right.

"No, Severus, I am not." he answered turning to the potions master.

Professor Snape sneered with the side of his face not seamed from hairline to chin by a hideous, lumpy, zig-zag scar. "I suppose you're wondering why I didn't veto your appointment?"

"Not at all." Harry answered calmly. "We both know you couldn't resist the fun of watching me fall flat on my face." he grinned dangerously. "I warn you, Severus, it'll be a long wait."

'We'll see." Opening discourtesies concluded the potions master continued quite normally. "I got an owl from young Albus yesterday. He and that American Witch of his are making real progress on their elixer."

"That's what he wrote us as well." Harry agreed. "Though I imagine his letter to you was a lot longer and more technical."

"You never did appreciate the art of potion making, Harry, unlike your mother." Snape returned.

"Very true. That talent seems to have skipped over me to my son."

"What about me?" Ginny demanded from Harry's other side. "I was pretty good at Potions in my day, wasn't I, Severus? Not to mention Fred and George."

"Please don't!" Hermione said emphatically from her seat on Snape's right. "The trouble Weasley's Wheezes give us every year -!"

"Oh lighten up, Hermione." her husband interrupted. "You know you just love showing off your counter spells in front of the students."

She blushed slightly. "I do not!"

"Sure she does." muttered Ginny, and Harry grinned.

The big ruby ring on Hermione's right hand flashed warningly. "First years have landed, poor little things." she said, getting up.

"Try not toscare them too much, sweetheart." Ron grinned. His wife snorted and disappeared through a door in the corner of the dais. "You should hear her welcome speech, Harry, makes Minerva's sound positively warm and fuzzy."

Harry smiled remembering a small, frightened boy with unruly black hair and a lightning bolt scar on his forehead as Hermione chivied her gaggle of first years towards the high table and Hagrid ducked through the side door to take his chair at the end.

The sorting hat sang through its usual jingle and Hermione began reading names off a long scroll. "Amesbury, Adalbert"

Harry didn't pay much attention to the names - he was too busy feeling sorry for the pale, scared little faces - until a familiar one caught his ear.

"Dean, Patience." a girl with green ribbons tied in her blond ringlets advanced on the stool, a look of grim determination on her face before it was eclipsed by the hat.

"Slytherin!" the sorting hat cried, and little Patience trotted towards the cheering Slytherin table, beaming with smiles.

"Dean, Prudence." this was the little girl from the train with her mousy pigtails and glasses. The hat put her in Gryffindor - unusual since sibling usually ended up in the same house and no two houses were more different than Gryffindor and Slytherin.

The next several students went to either Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff then: "Goldsmith, Gregory." a blond boy came forward with a strong square jaw showing under his baby fat. "Gryffindor!"

Harry wasn't at all surprised when "Longbottom, Bevis" was also sorted to Gryffindor but then came a name that made him sit up and take notice: "Malfoy, Urian Shakewand."

He leaned forward in his chair to get a good look. The boy had black hair, sleekly combed, but his thin pointed face and pale eyes reminded Harry strongly of his schoolboy nemesis. "I thought Draco had only daughters." he murmured to Snape.

"He does." the potions master answered as softly. "This is his grandson."

"I've heard of the Shakewands," Ginny whispered, "poor as us Weasleys but pure blooded."

"Probably the best Malfoy could do," Ron put in, "no decent family would have anything to do with his these days."

Nobody was surprised when young Urian was promptly sorted to Slytherin. "Keep an eye on him, Severus." Harry instructed quietly. "the other students are likely to give him a hard time."

Snape gave him a sharp look out of his remaining eye. "And you, Harry?"

He smiled sadly. "Severus, you know I never make the same mistake twice."

The feast though as plentiful and various as ever didn't taste as good as it had when Harry was a boy - probably because in those days he hadn't been dreading the Headmaster's traditional speech. 'Keep it short and to the point, liked Dumbledore used too.' he told himself as he got reluctantly to his feet. He cleared his throat and fixed his gaze on the top arch of the great doors, above all those staring eyes.

"Before we disperse to our well earned rest I have a few announcements to make." he said formally. "First, as you have no doubt heard, Professor Sprout has resigned as headmistress of Hogwarts - she will be sorely missed." 'especially by me!' "I am your new Headmaster, Professor Potter." the hall exploded into excited whispers and a patter of polite applause

Harry raised a hand for silence. "To continue: the Dark Forest is off limits to all students - though I say it as shouldn't." that got a ripple of genuine laughter encouraging him to look directly at his charges for the first time. "I strongly recommend you avoid the Arcomantula -"

"Amen!" Ron muttered fervently.

"- And the Giant colony can be decidedly tetchy about intruders, as can the Centaurs. Also I'm told a Chimera has recently taken up residence." he was careful not to look at Hagrid but another ripple of laughter told him that story was not unknown. "All in all I for one intend to keep well away!"

"That'll make a nice change." Ron muttered.

"Our caretaker, Mr. Shunpike, asks that students not use magic in the halls - or anywhere else that he has to clean it up." Harry continued briskly. "Quidditch trials will be held next week, those interested should contact our games-master, Mr. Wood. And I believe that is all. Good night everyone and good luck in finding your common rooms!"

That was completely unnecessary, Harry." Hermione scolded a few minutes later after the teachers had withdrawn to a room off the hall for after dinner coffee and liquors.

He blinked at her in surprise. "What?"

"That last crack about finding their common rooms."

Ron elbowed her. "Come on, Hermione! Don't tell me you've forgotten what it's like learning your way around this place."

"Of course not. But worrying about it isn't going to help."

"Neither is not worrying about it." said Harry a little absently. "Excuse me." He'd spotted Professor Snape heading for the door and hurried after him. "Severus, a word with you please - in private."

They went through the door into the empty great hall, lit only by the stars and half moon shining in the magical ceiling. "This private enough for you, Potter?" Snape asked irritably.

Harry put a hand on his arm. "Are you all right?"

Snape's remaining eye flashed black fire. "I do not want or need your concern, Potter -!"

"It's not you I'm concerned about!" Harry snapped back.

The eye narrowed. "So, you've felt it too." Snape said softly.

"Yes, dammit. I was hoping it was just the weather but if you're affected as well -"

There was tinge of weariness, even of apprehension, in the potion master's voice as he said: "You always were a foolish optimist, Harry."

"So you've said, many times." Harry sighed and sat down on the steps of the dais.

"Once wounded by Dark Magic one is always vulnerable to - reminders." Snape continued quietly. "It started perhaps three weeks ago."

"Me too." Harry rubbed absently at the scar, half hidden under his hair. "It can't be Voldemort." he said, almost to himself.

"Don't be a fool!" Snape said sharply. Stiffly he knelt down, putting their faces on level. "The Dark Lord is dead, Harry. We were both there. We saw. We could not have been mistaken."

"I know." Harry straightened up. "Of course you're right. But if not Voldemort than what or who is making our scars ache?"

Snape's face was bleak. "A new Dark Lord." he said flatly.

"It might not be as bad as that." Harry argued. "Maybe it's just somebody meddling dangerously in the Dark Arts -"

"More foolish optimism." Snape interrupted. "You know better, Harry!"

"Unfortunately I do." he agreed softly, starlight flashing off his glasses as he looked up. He took a deep breath. "Very well, I'll make a few inquiries."

"I already have." Snape's mouth twisted. My contacts could tell me nothing.

"That's bad." Harry said grimly. "Let's hope mine have better luck.


	3. The First Years

"You're mental." Gregory Goldsmith said disgustedly to the girl sitting opposite. "Who'd want to be a Slytherin?"

"Me." Patience Dean answered coolly. "I'm interested in potions and I want Professor Snape for my house master."

Gregory shook his head. "You're Muggle born, they'll make your life miserable."

Patience tossed her yellow ringlets. "They can try! Mudblood - what a stupid insult. I can think of lots better things to call them."

He snorted. "Maybe you are cut out for Slytherin."

"Thank you." she said, preening.

The door to the compartment opened and Prudence and Bevis came in. "Oh good, you found your toad." Gregory said with a friendly smile for the other boy.

"You'll never guess who had him," Prudence said excitedly. "Professor Potter! We actually talked to him."

"He was very nice." Bevis put in, sitting down next to Gregory, holding a squirming Trevor with both hands.

"You should get a cage for that thing." Patience told him.

"Trevor doesn't like cages." he answered defensively.

"He doesn't seem to like you either." she gibed.

"Shut up, Pat." Prudence snapped. "Trevor's just restless that's all. He's always liked to wander - Professor Potter said so himself."

her twin rolled her eyes. "Harry Potter this - Harry Potter that. Give it a rest will you!"

"First she wants to be Slytherin, now she puts down Harry Potter." Gregory said disapprovingly. "What are you, some kind of Dark Witch?"

"Of course not." Patience said. "Potter is a great wizard, everybody knows that. I'm just sick and tired of hearing about him day and night!"

"Not as tired as I am hearing about Professor Snape!" Prudence retorted, then explained to the boys. "It's always like this - everything I like she runs down."

"And anything I like she runs down!" said Patience.

"Which house do you want?" Gregory asked Prudence.

"Gryffindor of course." she answered.

"Well I hope you get it - the thought of the two of you in the same house is too grisly for words!"

Bevis, cradling his toad, silently agreed.

Urian Shakeswand Malfoy looked out the train window ignoring the other kids in his compartment. 'Remember you're better than they are,' he told himself, 'you're a Malfoy with eighty generations of pure blooded wizards behind you.'

"Hey, Shakeswand!" one of the boys in the compartment cried suddenly.

Urian turned a cold face to him. "My name is Malfoy."

"Your Dad's a Shakeswand." a girl said maliciously.

"I am my grandfather's heir and bear his name." Urian said briefly.

"Right - that'd be your grandpa the failed Dark wizard, right?" she said.

Urian felt his face burn but kept his voice level. "My grandfather is way above the likes of you!"

"Oooooh!" the entire compartment chorused mockingly.

"You just better watch out." the first boy told him. "You know who the new Headmaster is? Harry Potter, the wizard who put your granddad in his place - and he'll see to you too!"

Urian ostentatiously turned his back on them all to stare unseeingly out the window, trying not to be afraid. They were right, Harry Potter was Grandfather's enemy - what might he do to Urian?

It was dark by the time the train arrived at Hogwarts station. The platform seemed too small to hold all the children pouring from the train and was otherwise empty and unlighted.

"They can't have forgotten we're coming." Prudence said nervously, holding Bevis tightly by the hand.

"Of course not." said Gregory, but he couldn't quite suppress the hint of uneasiness in his voice. The four of them clung together - even Patience - as older and larger students swarmed around them, talking cheerfully. "See, nobody else is worried."

"Firs' years over here!" a voice boomed suddenly above the chatter and confusion.

"Where?" Patience demanded, craning her neck.

"Over there." an older kid said, giving her a little shove.

She threw him a smoldering glare over her shoulder but he just grinned and turned back to his tall friends. "First years!"

"C'mon." Gregory said hastily, grabbing Patience by the arm. The four of them worked their way across the crowded platform to where a hairy giant of a man stood, waving a lantern. "Firs' years, here. Over here."

"That's Professor Rubeus Hagrid." Prudence told the others in an important whisper. "You must have heard of him Bevis, he knows your grandfather."

The boy just nodded, staring up with round eyes and clutching his toad.

A black haired boy was shoved roughly against Patience. "Hey, watch it there." said Gregory, steadying her.

The other boy sneered. "I didn't hurt your girlfriend."

"I am not his girlfriend!" Patience announced firmly, pulling her arm free.

"Sorry, just trying to help." said Gregory holding up his hands.

"I don't need anybody's help." Patience retorted, nose in the air. Then to the black haired boy. "And you watch where you're going!"

"I know where I'm going it's the rest of this lot who don't!" he snapped back.

"Is that everybody?" Professor Hagrid asked far above their heads. "All right, follow me - and watch your step."

The path was very narrow, hemmed in by dense trees, and both steep and rough. Everybody concentrated on watching their feet until Professor Hagrid said: "And there's Hogwarts Castle."

It hung above a silver rippled lake of black water; a magical, multi-turreted castle glittering with lights. Ooohs and Ahhs sounded from every side. Even Patience was impressed. "Just like a fairy tale castle."

"It is a fairy tale castle, full of magic!" said her sister.

"Fairy tales." snorted the black haired boy. "You must be Muggle borns."

"That's right." Patience answered calmly. "But my sister and I are just as magical as anybody here - even if our parents aren't - so watch your mouth if you don't want to be hexed!"

"I'd listen to her, if I were you." said Gregory, grinning. The boy glared at them both with pale eyes.

"All aboard, all aboard." Professor Hagrid sang out. "No more than four to a boat."

A very pretty Asian girl got into one of the small boats, Gregory and Patience followed along with the black haired boy. As the fleet of little boats started moving smoothly across the lake Gregory frowned at him. "I know you. You're Urine Malfoy."

"Urian!" he corrected with a snap.

Gregory grinned. "Urine suits you better."

"You shut up." Patience told him.

"I don't need your help, mudblood!"

"Oh stuff it." she said calmly. "We're probably going to be in the same house so you might as well be civil."

"Never!" Urian ground between clenched teeth.

"We'll see." Patience returned with maddening composure.

The boats skimmed over the lake and then into a long, winding underground tunnel finally landing them on a pebbled beach in a torch-lit cave. Professor Hagrid checked them off as they disembarked then led them up a flight of steps to a green lawn right in front of the great doors of Hogwarts. The Professor knocked and they swung open to reveal a pretty but stern looking witch in violet robes sprinkled with glitter, as was her pointy hat.

"That's Professor Granger-Weasley!" Prudence whispered excitedly, she and Bevis having rejoined Gregory and Patience. Urian was still next to them too - not because he wanted to be but because he had no friends anywhere in the crowd so there was no point in moving away from this lot.

Granger-Weasley was a mudblood just like the blond girl. It was a disgrace she was allowed to teach at Hogwarts, much less been appointed deputy headmistress, so Urian's grandfather said. Urian himself just hoped she wouldn't notice him, he knew she'd like nothing better than to pick on a Malfoy. And the same went for the rest of the staff too, not to mention the students. Urian blinked hard. Why oh why had Grandfather insisted he come here? Why couldn't he have gone to Beauxbatons like Mom had suggested? At least there everybody wouldn't have hated him on sight!


	4. First Morning

"Welcome Headmaster!" the blast of sound almost flattened Harry against the closed door of Dumbledore's - of his - office. Every single one of the dozens of portraits of past Headmasters and mistresses lining the walls all the way up to the ceiling were beaming down on him.

He recollected himself and made them a little bow. "Thank you. Thank you all."

The beautiful round room with its gallery and high vaulted ceiling was much as he remembered it from visits as student and parent: shelves and glass fronted cabinets full of books and magical implements, the Sorting Hat in its accustomed place, Gwiffindor's sword and Hufflepuff's cauldron and Ravenclaw's book all prominently displayed. But the spindly little tables were bare of both the silvery whirligigs that had adorned them in Dumbledore's time and the potted plants that had covered them in Professor Sprout's.

Harry gave the portrait of a stern looking witch in a plaid scarf a special smile. "Minerva." his former Head of House returned it with a nod. His eyes then slid to a very large painting hanging to the right of the claw footed desk showing a gently smiling old Wizard with cataracts of silver white hair and beard and keen blue eyes watching him over half-moon spectacles. A lump rose in Harry's throat. "Professor Dumbledore."

"Albus, please." said the portrait. "We are colleagues now, Harry, not master and pupil."

Harry settled himself in the high backed chair behind the desk, swiveled it to face the painting and smiled. "I can't sir, Albus is my son."

Dumbledore eyes brightened with tears, he blinked hard and removed his spectacles to dab at them with a large red patterned bandana. "I was - very touched you chose to name a son after me. He's a fine boy."

Harry snorted a little. "You certainly saw enough of him when he was at school!" that got a groan from Minerva and chuckles from several of the other portraits.

Dumbledore smiled mischievously. "You have an exceptional brood of children, Harry."

He rolled his eyes. "Tell me about it. There were times when I didn't think either Hogwarts or I was going to survive them!"

"Nor I!" Minerva and Pomona Sprout's portraits agreed in chorus. More chuckles.

Harry let his eyes roam around the familiar room that was now his. "I feel - very inadequate. I'm depending on you, all of you, for all the help and advice you can give me."

"The feeling will grow on you." Dumbledore said dryly.

Harry looked back at him. "You, sir? You always seemed so sure of yourself."

"I trust so." the portrait answered, even more dryly. "One can't show uncertainty when so many depend on you."

"Oh, Albus." McGonagall said softly.

He smiled at her. "I don't know what I'd have done without you to lean on, my dear Minerva."

She sniffed loudly into her plaid.

Dumbledore's keen blue eyes shifted back to Harry, the familiar twinkle glinting in them. "You have the beginnings of a very fine beard there."

He smiled back stroking the short, silver powdered black whiskers clothing his jaw. "It seemed the thing to do. Thought it would give me dignity."

"The longer hair helps too." Dumbledore observed.

"At least it's lying flat for the first time in my life." Harry answered, running a hand through his thick, shoulder length mane. "Don't think I'll let either get as long as yours though, sir. They're nuisance enough as they are."

"You'll get accustomed." the portrait said complacently stroking his own beautiful waist length white beard.

"That's what everybody keeps telling me." Harry said wryly, not meaning beard or hair.

Urian's first day at Hogwarts started about as badly as it could. Just about the first thing he saw upon rising was that the books he'd piled carefully on the chest at the foot of his bed were gone. The other five boys in the dormitory were watching with bright, malicious eyes so he pretended not to notice, got dressed and got out of there as fast as he could.

He was one of the first down, seating himself at the door end of the Slytherin table. As it filled up the other students left a pointed gap beside him until Patience Dean plopped herself down in it. "Good morning."

He glared at her. "Go away, Mudblood."

She just reached for the pumpkin juice and filled her goblet, then topped off his. "Grumpy, grumpy." she checked the plump bookbag at her feet then frowned at him. "Where are your books?"

Urian put his nose in the air. "I don't need any books."

"Don't be an idiot of course you do." she shot a suspicious look at the other first year boys, snickering together farther down the bench. "You can share mine this morning and we'll look for yours at lunch."

"I don't need your help, Mudblood!" Urian hissed through clenched teeth.

"Oh yes you do, you watery blooded idiot."

He blinked. "What?"

"Watery blood." she repeated, looking pleased with herself. "Because it's so old and thin. Lots better insult than 'mudblood' don't you think?"

He stared, outraged. "I'm a pure-blooded wizard, a Malfoy. You can't insult me!"

"Just did." said Patience with infinite satisfaction.

At that moment the owls flew in with the morning mail. A supercilious looking horned owl dropped a crested white envelope in front of Urian and deigned to accept a bit of sausage in return before flying off to the Owlery. The letter was from Grandfather, of course:

'My dear Urian,

Congratulations on being accepted into Slytherin. I admit I was slightly worried, your father being a mere Hufflepuff, but Malfoy blood tells. I expect you to be an adornment to your House and to our family and to hear from you OFTEN.

Your Grandfather: Draco Malfoy

Urian folded the letter and put it in his pocket. Not one wit comforted.

"Sugar?"

"One lump please, Tonks." Harry held out his cup and the silver tongs dropped a glistening cube into the milky liquid before settling back into their place on the tray. "That's a new mouth isn't it?"

Wide, very red lips parted to show a row of glistening teeth. "Yes. I saw it in one of Hermione's Muggle magazines. Like it?"

"Very becoming." Harry assured her, sipping his tea.

"Remus thinks so too." Tonks turned the smile on the gentle faced, gray haired wizard occupying the third seat at the tea table.

Harry put his cup down. "You're not to know it, Tonks, but this husband of yours is an absolutely brilliant teacher." He gave his old DADA master a sternly affectionate look. "And I don't intend to waste his talents."

Remus Lupin sighed. "Harry, we've been through this before -"

"You're not dangerous. Not with Severus' improved Woflbane potion and Tonks here to see you take it every new moon." Harry interrupted.

"Perhaps not." Remus conceded. "But old fears die hard, Harry. It wouldn't be fair to the students."

"The students I have in mind won't mind a wit. In fact your problem will be a distinct advantage." that got him a startled, puzzled look from both Lupins. Harry took another sip of his tea and continued. "We're establishing a new House here at Hogwarts, one for students with special problems, werewolves, half-breeds and accursed."

"The governors -" Remus began.

"Have already approved. I've got a waiting list of students; four werewolves, three half-goblins, a part tree-fay, a half giant, two half Selkies - a brother and sister, and five suffering under assorted curses. All I need is your agreement to be House Master."

Remus hesitated. Tonks smiled. "Potter House?"

Harry shook his head, eyes steady on her husband. "Dumbledore House, in memory of Hogwart's greatest headmaster."

"Very appropriate." Remus agreed, a little huskily. "All right, Harry, I'll do it."

A cuckoo emerged from the clock hanging opposite the bay window, opened its beak and piped: "You're going to be late. You're going to be late."

"Oh my!" Tonks flew to her feet, nearly overturning the tea-table. "Beginning transfiguration starts in five minutes!" she grabbed her high peaked witches' hat and shot out of the door.

Remus took a calm sip of his tea. "Don't worry, Harry. I keep that clock fifteen minutes fast. She'll make it." Harry laughed. The older wizard continued soberly: "Severus tells me you've been having pain too."

Harry looked startled. "He's discussed it with you?"

Remus smiled faintly. "I wouldn't call us fast friends but Severus has been quite civil - for him - since I came back to Hogwarts. He confided in me because he wanted to use my connections in the werewolf community. You'll be glad to hear that nobody has approached our more - disaffected members."

"Yet." Harry said grimly.

"Unfortunately." Remus agreed.

Harry cracked a smile. "Not fair is it? We've already saved the world once, we shouldn't have to do it again."

"We shouldn't," Remus said softly, "but we must."

Harry's mouth set in a grim line. "Let's hope this time around we catch and nip the trouble in the bud before it grows into a full blown war."


	5. Friends

Urian tried, he really tried, but he couldn't shake Patience. "Go away!" he told her for the ninth or tenth time as she pushed their desks together and opened 'A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration' between them.

"Stop being so stupid." she answered calmly. "You need a friend don't you?"

That silenced him. He surely did, but if Grandfather heard he was hanging around a Mudblood -

At that moment the Transfiguration teacher, a small witch with a red mouth to wide for her heart shaped face, hurtled into the room and he had to concentrate on other things.

After a frustrating hour of trying to turn matches into needles Urian was too depressed to care about getting away from Patience.

"Nobody else did it either." she reminded him.

"At least yours turned gray."

"Yeah, gray matches, very impressive." she shrugged. "The book said it would be hard."

But Urian's match hadn't changed at all. Wasn't magic supposed to come easier to Purebloods? And if it didn't - well even the best families produced the occasional Squib!

Suddenly Patience waved energetically. "Oi! Hi Pru!" her sister with the mousy braids was coming towards them walking between two boys Urian recognized from the train platform, Bevis Longbottom and Gregory Goldsmith. He looked quickly away, pointing his nose at the ceiling and reminding himself yet again that it didn't matter what Half-bloods and Blood traitors thought or said.

"You on your way to Transfiguration?" Patience asked. "Let me tell you it is hard!"

Because he was looking at the ceiling Urian was the first to see a squirmy mass of snaky green coils appear with a whump overhead and give a startled cry that was quickly echoed by others as the coils increased, starting to fill up the corridor. The five first years crowded into the shelter of a nearby pillar, forced to cling tightly together as the thing expanded. Somewhere on the other side of the wriggly green mass somebody was laughing insanely - only to cut off in a gulp as a door appeared in the wall revealing Professor Potter standing on the steps of a narrow stair.

The coils promptly expanded into the new space knocking the Headmaster right off his feet. A collective gasp of horror came from those students able to see and Urian squeezed his eyes shut expecting an explosion. When it didn't come he opened them cautiously to see the Professor flat on his back on the floor gazing calmly up at the snaky mass above him.

"Ourboros spell, eh?" he fished his wand from his sleeve and made a slicing motion. Immediately the single ourboros divided into dozens, smaller but taking up just as much space, and all growing and crowding people even harder against the walls. "Hmmm...that didn't do much good did it?" the Professor observed calmly. He thought a moment then made a circular motion with his wand. The coils began to shrink rapidly, vanishing in little greenish puffs of smoke until the corridor was once again clear.

The Dean girls and their friends continued to huddle in the lee of their pillar. None of the other students scattered up and down the hall dared move a muscle, all eyes fixed in terror on Professor Potter as he got to his feet, tucked away his wand and brushed himself down.

"No magic in the halls." he said calmly, not looking at all angry. In fact, though it was hard to be sure, his green eyes seemed to be twinkling with laughter. "Ten points from all Houses." then, terrifyingly, his eye settled on the huddle of first years and he walked towards them. "Hello, Bevis, Prudence." he said as if nothing at all had happened. "How is your first day going so far?"

Pru swallowed hard. "F-fine, Professor." she managed. Then: "This is my sister Patience."

The green eyes shifted to her. "Yes, I remember from the Sorting. You seemed very pleased to get Slytherin."

"I was." she said, a little defiantly, adding; "This is my friend Urian Malfoy."

Urian forced himself to meet the Professor's eyes and was shaken by the kindness he saw there. "Mr. Malfoy." the Headmaster looked away. "And this is Mr. Goldsmith isn't it?" flashed them all a smile. "Don't be discouraged, the classes always seem impossible to start with." and walked away, leaving the five youngsters staring after him.

"How did he know?" Greg asked the air wonderingly. Surely, surely Harry Potter had done everything perfectly from day one! Or had he?

"The first and most important rule of Defense Against the Dark Arts is to stay calm." Professor Ronald Weasley told his class of Ravenclaw first years. "I know that's easier said then done - how well I know! - but you must keep your head."

"Even when facing giant spiders." said Harry from the back of the room, turning all heads.

"Especially when completely surrounded by bloodthirsty giant spiders after following your stupid git of a best friend into the Dark Forest!" Ron said emphatically. Then, pleasantly. "Good afternoon, Headmaster, what can we do for you?"

"A word, Professor, if I may?"

"Of course." Ron walked down the aisle towards the door. "At least pretend to read chapter one till I get back, eh?" the students giggled nervously. "Not but they probably will, being Ravenclaws." he commented in the hall. "What's up, Harry?"

His friend gave him a comical grimace. "I just took ten points from Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff."

Ron grinned broadly. "Funny sort of feeling isn't it? Handing out punishments instead of getting them. What for?"

"Magic in the halls. A rather tricky ourboros spell. Good work on somebody's part."

"Davy Finch-Fetchley and/or Toby Goodfellow." Ron nodded. "Those two are responsible for most of the mischief around here, but damn good students for all that. Sort of a cross between the twins and Hermione." Harry laughed. "That all?"

"No, of course not. I just talked to Remus and he's agreed to take on Dumbledore House. I'll send out the letters tonight and the students should be arrive day after tomorrow. I'll need you to prepare some counter-curses."

"Sure. What do we have coming?"

"An evil eye."

"No problem. Dumbledore solved that one back when we were boys."

"A serpent leg."

"Poor kid, that's a nasty one." Ron conjured parchment and quill out of the air and started writing.

"A toad mouth."

"Beats slugs."

Harry smiled faintly. "Just. A morpheum curse."

Ron whistled. "Somebody got a hag mad at them, eh? Right. That all?"

"No. Last but not least a levity curse."

Ron looked up. "Never heard of that one. What's it do?"

"Me neither." said Harry. "Seems to have been invented for this poor little girl. Apparently she annoyed an irritable great aunt once to often. She has no gravity - in any sense of the word."

Ron thought about that. "You mean she floats -?"

"And laughs constantly. Very eccentric behavior, think Luna at her dottiest."

"Good thing I like a challenge." Ron observed making more notes. "I take it the usual remedies aren't effective?"

"Would I be asking you for help if they were?"

"Right. Hermione, Severus and I will put our heads together and see what we can come up with. Sounds like Remus is going to have some interesting students."

Harry smiled. "He'll have the lot eating out of his hand in no time."

Urian followed Patience reluctantly down the passage to the boys dormitory, not arguing because after a whole morning in her company he knew it was useless.

"Watch the door." she told him, and set to work looking under the green hung beds and digging through the chests at their feet. Urian watched uneasily, keeping one ear tuned to the stairway. "Aha!" she said almost at once, producing his 'Standard Book of Spells', 'History of Magic', and 'Magical Theory'. His other books were discovered hidden in assorted bedside drawers.

Then Urian heard the voices of two or three of his roommates in the passage and looked at Patience in a panic. She just flashed him a grin and crawled under his bed. Urian quickly climbed on top and opened his copy 'Fantastic Beasts', pretending to read as the other boys trooped in. They stopped dead and he raised his eyes long enough to give them a cool look. "I decided I needed my books after all."

They snuck uncertain looks at each other, muttered unintelligibly, collected some rolls of parchment and left. The moment their footfalls died away Patience crawled out from under the bed, dusty and gleeful.

"Perfect! You were just perfect!" she beamed.

Urian grinned happily back, realizing that he was going to be friends with a Mudblood - a Muggle born - whatever Grandfather thought or said.


End file.
